Cloth Seal, Devon, James I, Crowned Thistle, PW, Image & Found by Matthew Herbert.
Found in Tetbury, Gloucestershire, 14 x 23mm.
Missing // P (6 4 to sides)/W (2 below and D to right) ligature, DEVON around // crowned thistle // missing
Originally recorded as UKDFD 36551, "The two inner discs of a four-disc cloth seal, probably dating to the mid 17th century. One disc depicts a thistle within a wreath; the other bears an inscription. The inscription consists of a large letter W with 6P4 above, 2 below, and a small D to the right. Around the bottom of the same side is the word DEVON. The seal is most likely an alnage seal of the county of Devon, with 64 possibly indicating the year 1664, and 2D a tax of two pence."
The P over W is believed to be the mark of a particular alnager - see PROVENANCED LEADEN CLOTH SEALS by GEOFFREY EGAN, Sub-Department of Medieval Archaelogy, University College, University of London. submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, 1987. "An inner disc has, [P over W] +SOM... SET around (recorded from a cast) This post-Restoration alnager WP or PW is known on other seals from the west of England dated between 1665 and at least 1676." This seal shows that alnager PW's sealing activities began at least a year before this assuming the numerals stand for 1664 which is consistent with other alnage seals.
See also BSG.CS.00224.
